Eighteen-year-old Anannya Basak knocked out top-seed Manika Batra in the first round of the women’s singles event of the 11Sports National Ranking (South Zone) Table Tennis Championships in Vijaywada on Monday.
Basak packed of the CWG gold medallist and Asiad mixed doubles bronze winner 11-4, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 in less than 40 minutes.
The hype before Manika arrived at the hall where the locals had gathered to catch a glimpse was short-lived as the tall and lanky top-ranked India player and world No 56 struggled to find her feet as Anannaya ran up a good lead and finish off the first game in eight minutes flat. The experienced Delhi player came back strongly to level things up. However, Anannaya made most of Manika’s net errors and sluggish approach to go 2-1 up. Basak, though, took the fourth on extended points before polishing Manika off in the fifth.
Manika’s exit wasn’t the only upset of the day. Fifth seed Krittwika Sinha Roy, seventh seed Ayhika Mukherjee and eight seed Madhurika Patkar were also knocked out by three other unseeded players—Shanmathi Sathiyan of Tamil Nadu (6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8), Maria Rony of Canara Bank (12-10, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8) and Surbhi Patwari of West Bengal (11-7, 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9), respectively.
Important Results: Women Singles (1st round): Anannya Basak (Dena Bank) bt Manika Batra (PSPB) 11-4, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8; Surabhi Patwari (WB) bt Madhurika Patkar (PSPB) 11-7, 11-7, 11-9, 8-111, 11-9; Sathyan Shanmathi (TN) bt Sina Roy Krittwika (WB) 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8; Rony Maria (Canara Bank) bt Ayhika Mukherjee (RBI) 12-10, 11-6, 11-9, 11-8; Divya Deshpande (PSPB) bt Vanishka Bhargava (DLI) 3-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9; Sutir Mukherjee (HRN) bt Josha Eesha (MHR) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8, 11-2.